Community Action of Nebraska

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History

Community Action: America’s Poverty-Fighting Network

“The Promise of Community Action: Community Action changes people’s lives, embodies the spirit of hope, improves communities, and makes America a better place to live. We care about the entire community, and we are dedicated to helping people help themselves and each other.”

President Lyndon B. Johnson’s War on Poverty and the advocacy of Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. helped form Community Action. The Economic Opportunity Act of 1964 created the Network of local Community Action Agencies (CAAs.)

Community Action, through its 1,000-plus local agencies, is a trusted source of support and has a presence in 99% of counties across America. To learn more about the Community Action Network and the history of Community Action, please visit the National Community Action Partnership’s website at www.communityactionpartnership.com.

Nebraska has nine CAAs covering all counties, each providing unique and specific programs to meet the needs of communities in their service areas. Programs in such areas as employment, education, housing, health care, and civic engagement provide opportunities and resources to help communities grow.

Nebraska’s CAAs are funded through multiple sources, most notably the Community Services Block Grant (CSBG.) Through this grant administered by the Department of Health and Human Services, agencies are able to provide opportunities and guidance to move people from poverty to economic stability. Core federal support, institutional framework, and our common mission come from CSBG.

Agencies must meet requirements and follow core principles, management and accountability practices and national goals to guide them in their mission to alleviate poverty. Through community assessments, agencies can identify and prioritize the conditions and determinants of poverty at the local level as well as design services and strategies to meet community needs.

You can view these assessments by visiting the Community Assessments page under What We Do.

Community Action of Nebraska (CAN)

“Community Action of Nebraska’s mission is to alleviate poverty by enhancing program development, providing technical assistance, and advocating to support all CAAs in Nebraska.”

Nebraska’s Community Action Agencies were created individually in 1965 and 1966. In March of 1986, Community Action of Nebraska, Inc. (CAN) was officially made into a corporation and was accepted as an official 501(c)(3) Nonprofit in September of the same year. CAN was organized by those CAAs to “facilitate and enhance their individual abilities to carry out their respective antipoverty programs.” CAN exists to facilitate and coordinate, rather than duplicate services other CAAs in Nebraska are providing.

Community Action of Nebraska currently includes four staff members and is supervised by a Board of Directors. You can view more information about CAN’s staff and board members by visiting the Staff and Board page under Who We Are. 

CAN is an equal opportunity employer and does not discriminate on the basis of race, color, religion, national origin, marital status, veteran status, political affiliation, sexual orientation or gender identity, disability, sex, age, or any other status protected by federal law.